A Friend, A Brother
by r2roswell
Summary: Set 1 month after Breaking Dawn. Renesmee goes missing and the Cullens and Quiluete wolves all set out to find her.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Bella walked into Renesmee's room early morning.

"Sweetie," she said. "Time to get up."

As Bella looked at Renesmee's bed she froze in place. She called out. "Renesmee." No answer.

"Edward!"

In less than a flash Edward was by her side.

"Renesmee's not here," she said panicking. "Why isn't she in her bed?"

"Relax love, I'm sure she's fine."

"She's not in the house."

"I'm sure she just got up early and didn't want to disturb us."

"Were we really that loud?"

"Probably not but I'm sure no kid wants to be around their horny parents. Come we'll go check the house. She's fine I promise."

* * *

In one bound across the river Edward and Bella arrived at the Cullen house.

"Is Renesmee here," Bella asked not even bothering to exchange pleasantries.

"Morning to you too," Emmett chuckled.

"Is she here?" Bella asked again.

"No," Carlisle replied. "We thought she was at home with you."

Bella moved her hand to her face starting to get nervous and keep herself from panicking. Esme was quickly by her side rubbing her daughter's back.

"We'll find her Bella," said Edward. "I'm sure she couldn't have gone far."

* * *

Before the Cullens could talk some more and begin looking for Renesmee, Jacob entered through the front door. He smiled like he always did.

"Hey guys. What's going on?" He searched around and not finding who he was seeking he looked at Edward and Bella. "What you forget the kid all ready?"

Bella leaned into Edward. She was all ready feeling like a bad parent for not noticing that Renesmee had left the house earlier. Edward looked at Jacob and scowled. Jacob saw the seriousness in all of their faces and his began to mirror Bella's own.


	2. Chapter 1

**1.) The Search**

"We'll let you know if we find her," I said to Edward in my wolf form. My voice was shaky and Edward saw through that.

Though with Nessie missing my nerves couldn't be helped. What if we couldn't find her? I couldn't think that way. I had to focus.

I gathered my pack, three of them anyways. As always Quil was off with Claire. At this very moment I envied my brother. What I wanted most was to be with Renesmee. It would be just another day of hanging out but no matter how repetitive the days I could never get enough of spending time with Nessie. If Edward and Bella had let me I was more than willing to stay in wolf form so I could be their permanent family pet at the cottage. Anything to not lose hours or minutes with my precious little girl.

Leah had complained about being assigned to the search party but with Quil all ready on the outs he was not about to lose another pack mate and be set back to just two other brothers on the search.

"I can hear you, you know," Leah said.

"I don't really care Leah, just find her."

"Whatever you say boss."

Gah, Jacob hated that. Even though he had decided to take his alpha duties more seriously he still hated the fact that he was the boss of the others. Unlike Sam he would never take away anyone's free will but when important things came up he needed to assert some kind of authority even if he didn't like it.

"So what about the Cullens," Seth asked. "Where are they going to look?"

"Edward and Bella are going directly to Charlie's. The others will be looking in discreetly in Forks. We've got the woods."

"Don't worry Jake," Seth said sounding enthused and not at all minding the fact he was in on the search. "She's just a kid, we'll find her."

Jacob ignored Seth and began working his way toward the boundary line. Despite the fact that some of the sections in the treaty had been void some of them had been modified. Given the fact that there were now two separate packs we could not have the two alphas butting heads over territory.

I had given up my once territory of La Push that used to belong to me under the guidance of Sam. Now I was on the opposite end. Cullen territory was now my territory. In a way it felt natural as if despite my long ago hate for the Cullens, that this was always meant to be my land. Or maybe it was the shift in gravity when I imprinted. Maybe when gravity had moved from the earth to Renesmee it had also moved the position of my land as well.

I don't know. I was thinking to deep. I had to focus. I was nearing the boundary.

* * *

A couple more strides and I stopped. Surely Sam would hear me coming by now, my paw prints at least.

I paced along the line. Too impatient. Waiting.

Sam and his two boys, Jared and Paul, both flanking him walked toward me in human form. I refused to phase. I had to stay connected to the pack in case they found her.

Sam looked from Paul to Jared. They gave him some room and he phased.

"What's going on Jacob," Sam asked once in wolf form.

I paced for a moment and then stopped in front of Sam. "Renesmee's missing. She hasn't been over to your side has she?"

"No she hasn't. How long as she been gone?"

"A few hours. She wasn't in the house when Bella went to wake her up. She wasn't at the Cullen's either."

"We'll keep an eye out for her."

"Thanks."

I caught a glimpse of Sam's thoughts. For a second he was freaking out about the possibility of Emily missing. I looked at Sam and the black wolf composed himself knowing what thought he had let slip.

"How should we contact you if we find her," Sam asked getting back to the task at hand.

"I know your howl. Make a long howl if you find her. I'll send one of my boys to come gather the information so you'll have to be human."

"Sure thing." Sam began to walk away but turned back. "Jake, it'll be okay."

I turned toward the woods not bothering to look back. "Sure, sure," I said before taking off on a full sprint.


	3. Chapter 2

**2.) Valley of the Cliffs**

"Anything," I asked as I made my way back to the Cullen house later that evening.

Leah, Embry and Seth circled.

"Nothing," replied Leah.

"I checked with Sam," said Embry. "Still no sign of her."

Seth shook her head. "Her parents and none of the other Cullen's have seen her either."

I placed my head down. "Where could she be? There's only so far a kid can go."

"She's not just any kid," replied Seth. "She's special."

I looked up directly at Seth as if he was onto something.

"What," Seth asked.

"We've been going about this all wrong," I answered.

"What do you mean," Embry asked.

"We've been thinking as human. Even the Cullen's have. We need to think as we truly are: wolf and vampire."

I began looking toward the woods. I turned toward my pack.

"Seth I need you to come with me. Embry stay here and wait for Seth's return. I'll need you boys to tell the Cullen's and to inform Sam."

"Got it," replied Embry.

Leah rolled her eyes. "Am I off search dog duty?"

"Geeze Leah," said Seth. "Can't you be a little more sympathetic? Jake's life is on the line here."

Leah rolled her eyes again. "As if I could ever forget."

"Go!" I said raising my voice at her.

* * *

I began making my way into the woods. I wasn't sure if Seth was coming but I hoped he was. I could hear him twenty yards behind me.

"We're going on a long hike," I said to him. "Think you can keep up?"

"Of course I can," he said enthusiastically. "Haven't I proven myself enough all ready?"

I couldn't help but smile. Sometimes Seth's energy was a little vomit inducing but there were simple moments like these that I could tolerate it.

"I'll give you that but you're still just a kid."

"Hey Colin and Brady are younger than me."

"Well you're the youngest in my pack kid."

* * *

We ran in silence higher up into the mountains. I wasn't sure what compelled me to come this way. Maybe it was the simple thought of placing myself in Nessie's shoes. If I was the only half human/half vampire this side of the hemisphere and I wanted to be alone away from family and friends how far and how high would I go to escape everything?

"We're going to the valley of the cliffs," Seth asked.

The valley of the cliffs I thought. At least that's what we all called it. Bella had told me of her first hunting experience, one that didn't include hunting animals. She had tracked onto the scent of human blood. The guy was so high up on the cliff and several yards higher than her but she stopped after realizing what had happened. She had gone back to it once and on the other side of it found a luscious green valley.

The Cullen's had put in a nice donation even though that mountain and valley wasn't for sale. Considering the amount of money they had they could practically buy anything. Heck Carlisle had purchased an Island for his wife Esme. Now he purchased a mountain side for his daughter in law.

Bella felt guilty about it for weeks but Carlisle was more than happy. She had told me once that she would go back to school or if not that read all the books she could so she could just take exit exams in college so she could contribute something to the Cullen's funding.

We were almost there. The air was beginning to thin, we could feel it. Lucky for us it didn't affect us the way it did a regular human.

This place always reminded me of those ancient Mayan cities you saw in text books- valleys surrounded by cliffs that nearly reached the heavens. Only this one lacked any structures. The cliffs added a soft pallet of walls in a half circle while the other half circle was the wooded area from which we came from. In the center was a green pasture.

"Do you hear that?" Seth asked.

I heard. It was the fluttering of Nessie's heart. She was here. I stepped closer but enough to keep my distance so Nessie wouldn't see me. I could see her sitting down on the grass with several pebbles in her hand. She picked one up individually and placed it between her fingers. Small dust clouds formed.

"Go inform Bella that we found her daughter. Tell her not to worry I'll bring her back. Have Embry go talk to Sam."

Seth didn't say a word. Instead he just took off. I knew he was tired but there was a stream nearby and he could hunt if he wanted.

I took one quick breath and phased, my human side coming out into the valley.


	4. Chapter 3

**3.) A Friend, a Brother**

Nessie sat in place as she looked up at me. I walked over to her casually.

"You had us all worried Nessie," I said to her. "Your mom is going out of her mind."

She stood up and tossed the rocks, wiping her hands on her jeans. My guess was that Nessie had dressed herself. Normally she didn't wear jeans unless it was for something rugged. What could be more rugged than going to the highest point this side of our little world?

I knelt down so she could touch my face.

"What do you mean you don't want to go home?"

She touched my face again.

"Now I don't believe that. What bad thing did you do?"

She pressed her hands harder. In my mind I could see the events of the day and what led up to it. She was still upset about the confrontation with the Volturi and once Nahuel had left to go back to his country it only made her sadder. She finally met someone who was like her and now she felt alone.

She led me into the bad thing she had done. Several miles back she had come across a bear and she had hunted him. She had never hunted bear before. Most of her animal diet consisted of elk and deer and they were docile.

I saw as the bear looked at little Nessie and then the bear charged. Seeing that bothered me even though I knew nothing could harm her. Nessie stood up to the bear. Though he was on his hind legs now and much taller she held her two hands in front of him. The bears pawing felt like soft pillows across her hair and face. She then grabbed his hind paw, the one that was on the ground and flipped him to his back.

The bear was more than angry at this point. Nessie let him get up and again he charged but this time Nessie did a back flip and landed on his back much in the same fashion she rode me. She dug her teeth into its neck. The more blood she took the less the bear fought.

Seeing that the bear was finished I could sense her panic and then she ran.

I took her hands and held them.

"You were hunting Nessie there's nothing wrong with that. It's not a bad thing."

"I shouldn't be able to!" she yelled speaking aloud for the first time since I arrived.

She stalked back to the corner that I had found her in.

* * *

I walked over and knelt again.

"What's this really about Nessie?"

She reached for my face. She didn't want to talk to Jacob the human she wanted to talk to Jacob the wolf, someone soft so she could lean on and someone who couldn't interrupt.

I backed away so I could comply. I looked at Renesmee wanting to know what it was I could do next.

The light from above was starting to fade. Surely Bella and Edward would be worried by now. They were expecting me to bring Nessie back but I hadn't told Seth when.

I could try to be the authority figure here but the last thing I wanted was for Nessie to be mad at me. I could handle it if the Cullen's were upset with me. I couldn't with Nessie and it went beyond just my own feelings toward her.

When I had been a part of Sam's pack I had seen how much it pained Sam for Emily to be upset with him. He couldn't function, couldn't breathe, couldn't focus. He wanted nothing more than to die than have Emily be angry with him, more so after he had accidentally hurt her. I couldn't imagine that kind of pain if Nessie inflicted it on me.

* * *

"Lay down," she said aloud to me.

I did as she told. Nessie came over and cuddled in my side. Though she seemed to have immunity to cold being surrounded by cold-blooded vampires all the time she still very much enjoyed the warmth the way Bella had when she was human.

I moved my mussel over so that it touched Nessie's palm of her hand. Waiting.

"I don't want to be special," she finally admitted.

We both looked to the sky. Stars were coming out and the moonlight was making its way up in the distance.

"Nahuel understood. He was like me but now I'm alone. There's no one like me anymore. I love momma and daddy but I didn't ask to be special. I just want to be a normal little girl. I don't want to be super strong and take down bears. I don't want to age fast. I want to go to school. I want to be like Claire."

Nessie shook her head. "Why did momma and daddy create me?"

That question kept me silent more so than I all ready was. She was questioning why she was even born. Did she wish that she wasn't? I remember not long after my first phase that I had questioned the same thing. It was a thought that often frightened me and others but lucky with the pack most of my brothers had felt the same way, except for a few. Quil and Seth were the exception. They loved wolf life.

Nessie patted my head. "Do you ever wish you were normal Jacob?"

There was a time when I would've said 'yes' to that question. Maybe had I been normal my life wouldn't have been so chaotic. I could've lead a simple life like my father's and even my sisters. Now though having experienced a paranormal life with the Cullen's and even Bella and having met my future in a half vampire/half vampire child I couldn't really picture a normal life anymore. That kind of life seemed as blurry as Bella's human memories were often described to be.

Nessie patted my head again. "I'm sure you do. Look at your brothers. They always spend their time with normal girls. I bet you wish you could spend your time with a normal girl." Nessie sighed. "I'm sorry," she said shifting to my back and laying down across it.

We both stayed silent as the night wore on. I could hear Nessie's heartbeat as it slowed. She was sleeping now. The silence continued and I closed my eyes for a bit too. Just five minutes though because I didn't want any surprises to sneak upon me or my little girl.

With the night getting darker I knew it was time we should head home. I moved my head over so that I could face Nessie a little bit and gently nudged her.

Not saying a word she got off my back. I stretched. It felt good my bones feeling a bit stiff so I knew we had to have been here a while.

I looked at Nessie before phasing.

* * *

"I'm gonna answer our conversation now okay?" I asked.

She nodded. I picked her up in my arms and held her close.

"Now you listen to me Renesmee Carlie Cullen," I said using her full name. It felt weird. Though I had grown to like her name it was still quite a mouthful.

"It's okay to want to be normal. Back before you were born, back when I first turned into a wolf that's what I wanted, to be a normal good kid."

She touched my face and I answered her question. Now that I was human she was back to speaking in her usual way. "There were a lot of things that changed my mind. The day I lost your mom I thought my life was over but then you know what, something happened, something I didn't expect." Nessie looked at me intently. "I met you," I said with a big smile.

Nessie smiled back.

"And that thing about normal girls, I don't need them because I've got the best girl in the whole world. I wouldn't trade that for anything."

She placed her hands to my face. "I know it doesn't change how you feel but had we been normal we may not have even met. You weren't created in the sense that Nahuel was Nessie. You're a miracle baby," I said smiling at having used Bella's word, 'miracle' that she had used early on in her pregnancy."

Nessie touched my face. "You're a miracle because your mommy and daddy didn't think it was possible for them to have children. No one knew about Nahuel and his family at the time. You were created out of love Nessie not out of science and curiosity. Your daddy loved your mommy so much that you were the miracle to come of it. That's not something you should be ashamed of. Now I know you're different and that being different might even scare you."

Nessie looked away knowing that I was right. I continued. "But you know what, it's okay to be different, it's okay to be special. It doesn't make you a freak, far from it. In fact it makes you pretty awesome."

She looked up and touched my face. "Yes awesome is the same as special. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's okay to feel what you're feeling but at the same time consider being special as a gift because that's what you are Nessie. You're a gift to your mommy and daddy. If they didn't love each other so much and the way they love each other then you wouldn't be here. You're also a gift to your grandpas and grandma and your aunts and uncles."

She touched my face more. "Yes to both your vampire aunts and uncles and your wolf aunts and uncles." Another touch. "Yes I know he's a hard head but even Sam. And you know what, you're also a gift to me. I love you Nessie and I would do anything for you just like your mommy and daddy, you know that right?"

Nessie placed her head on my chest. "My Jacob," she said.

"Are you going to be okay?" I said after a short silence.

I felt her nod.

"I'm here for you Nessie no matter what. I'll never leave you. Now what do you say we head back home? I know your mommy and daddy are probably wondering what's taking so long."

I didn't wait for an answer instead I began the walk. Though it was a cold night my warmth was more than enough to protect Nessie. It would be faster if I was on all fours but I wasn't about to risk Nessie falling asleep on me and having there be a chance of her falling off not that she could get hurt. Still I wasn't taking any chances especially in the dark.


	5. Epilogue

**Epilogue- Safe & Sound**

I arrived at the cottage with Nessie in my arms. Bella was pacing in front of the door while Edward and Seth stayed off to the side.

"She's all right," I said to the group.

I looked up at Edward and knew what he was seeing: my memories of when I had waited outside Charlie's house when Sam cradled Bella in much the same way I was cradling Nessie. The thoughts couldn't be helped really, it felt too similar.

I placed a kiss on her head before passing Nessie off much in the same way that Sam had done with Charlie. The only difference here was that Nessie's mother was nearby and I strongly believed that Nessie wouldn't sink into a black hole of depression after this .

Bella caressed her daughter's hair from her face and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"I'll take her inside," Edward said.

I looked at him and nodded grateful he wasn't going into the thoughts he had seen previous to my ones of Bella.

He had surely heard my replay of what happened with Nessie and how the two of us stayed up in the valley talking. He had seen the pain Nessie felt for being different.

"I'll go inform Carlisle and Esme," Seth said taking off to the glass house.

I looked down at my feet and shifted them a bit, afraid to meet Bella's gaze.

"You couldn't have brought her home sooner?" she asked. "Seth came back hours ago."

"I didn't want to until she was ready."

"Of course."

I looked up. It wasn't the look of a scorned woman that I had been expecting.

"So are you going to tell me what happened up there?"

"She's safe that's all that matters."

"You didn't answer my question."

I took a quick sigh. "That's probably a conversation you and Edward should have with your daughter, as a family."

"Jacob…"

I placed my hands up in defense. "I did nothing I swear."

"No that's not where I was going I trust you."

She took her cold hand in my warmth one.

"Thanks Jake," she said looking into my eyes. "Thanks for bringing my daughter home."

"Just make sure she's there in the morning," I said jokingly which gave her reason to punch my arm with her free hand.

I let go, "Night Bells," I said with a smile and began the slow long walk into the woods.

* * *

I would arrive in La Push, thank Sam for his help even though Embry had all ready done so earlier and sleep in my bed at my father's house after him inquiring about Nessie. I would tell him he didn't need to worry about her or me. Everything was right with the world again. My little Nessie was home safe and sound and that's all that mattered.

* * *

**~END~**

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

1.) I had a hard time with this piece in that each time I was writing I would always write 'Renesmee' so I had to always go back and do a re-write and write 'Nessie' instead. I always have trouble with that I guess because I can never get use to a nickname that Jacob gave her. If maybe say Bella or Edward had given her the nickname then maybe I could get used to it but like Bella, she'll always be Renesmee to me, not Nessie, no variations.

2. ) The idea sparked from a fanart I saw. I don't remember where I saw it, I just remember seeing it. It was, according to the author of the art though, to be a Bella/Jacob moment. For some reason it triggered me into thinking of a moment between Jacob and Renesmee

3.) This fic was originally intended to be a one-shot with the one-shot being at chapter 3: A friend, a brother, but for some reason the story wouldn't let me write just the one scene. It started leading me into the direction of Jacob's point of view which wasn't part of the plan at all so it needed the back story (prologue to chapter 2) and then the conclusion (epilogue). On a more personal note, I'm actually glad it turned out this way because I think as a Jacob/Renesmee fic it made it better and added a depth which the one scene (chapter 3) wouldn't have shown.


End file.
